Reel



Sept 18 1934- s. G. HlRscH v i 1,974,333

REEL

Filed April 28, 1934 Illllllllllllll! Patented Sept. 18, 1934 REEL Stephen G. Hirsch, Philadelphia,

Pa., assigner to Ocean City Manufacturing Co., Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation' of Pennsylvania Application April 28, 1934, Seriall No. 722,955

7 Claims. '-(Cl. 242--84.7)

This invention relates to shing reels, and more particularly to that type of fishing reel in which, during a casting operation, the spool is disconnected from the reel handle so that excessive friction is avoided. In such reels the disconnecting operation is accomplished through the medium of a sliding button, pivoted lever Yor the like.

which occupies either of two positions in one of which the spool may rotate independently of the handle. If often happens that a iisherman, after making a cast, will neglect to restore the connection between the reel handle and spool, with the result that if a fish strikes, he is unable to play.

the sh until he has restored the connection. This not only results in loss of iish through the delay, but care must be taken in effecting the connection if the line is being withdrawn rapidly by the iish, for with the establishment of the connection the reel handle in many types of reels begins to rotate and may inflict a painful injury. v

An important object of'this invention is the provision of a means for manually disconnecting or connecting the reel handle and spool which is of such character that the connection is automatically restored if, at any time during disconnection, the reel handle is rotated in adirection to wind line upon the reel.

A further and more specific object of the 1nvention is the provision of an operating control movable to two positions in one of whichthe reel and spool are connected. and in thelother of which the reel and spool are disconnected, this control embodying a part located inthe path of movement of the reel handle and engaged thereby so that it is moved from this second position into its i-lrst or connecting position by the contact.

These and other objects I attain by the construction shown in the accompanying drawing wherein, for the purpose of illustration, I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional view of a reel head and the adjacent portion of the spool spindle equipped in accordance with my invention,

the parts being shown in their spool-driving position;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the parts in the free spool position;

Fig. 3 is an inner face view of the reel head; Fig. 4 is a section on line 4 4 of Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is an outer face view of the reel head, the control lever being shown in solid lines in the free spool position and in dotted lines in the 'clutch connection position.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 10 generally designates the body of the reel head which may character and which mounts a rotatable shaft 11v to the outer end of which the reel handle 12 is secured,'and upon which, adjacent its inner end,

a gear 13 is mounted. The reel head likewise.

provides a bearing 14 for an end of the spool spindle 15. spindle inany 'suitable fashion is a pinion 16 meshing with the gear 13 and splined upon the shank 17 of the pinion 16 as one element 18 of a clutch, the other element of this clutch being' formed by providingflats 19 'upon the adjacent portion of thesp'ool spindle. When the clutch element 18 is slid 'inwardly upon the shank 17 toi engage the spool spindle, the clutch element pinion and spool spindle operate as a unit andare,

accordingly, rotated upon rotation of handle 12` and gear`13. The structure atpresent illustrated is but one of many variants of similar clutchingv and declutching means which are at present embodied in reel structures and forms no part ot my.

inventionexcept in combination with the mechanism now to be described.

The clutch element 18 is peripherally grooved,

as indicated at 20 and engaging in this groove is a plate 21 which is normally urged inwardly bymeans of springs 22. Secured to the plate and slidably mounted in the body 10 in the bearing 23 provided therefor is a stud24, to the outer end of which a cam lever 25 is pivoted. Ihepivotal connection of this cam leverris farther' spaced from the end of the lever Ythan the 'width of the lever. with'the result that fwhen the lever 25 parallels the reel head, thestud 241-a`nd plate 21 may move inwardly under the iniiuence of springs 22 thereby shifting clutch element 18 into its operative position. When, however, the lever is perpendicular to the head, and has its end in engagement with the outer end of bearing 23, the stud and plate are drawn outwardly and clutch 18 is removed to its inoperative position and the reel placed in that condition known as free spool. When the lever is in its perpendicular position, its outer end is arranged in the path of movement of either arm of handle l2 so that when this handle is rotated it engages the lever. This engagement of the handle with the lever causes it to be tilted to one side so that the action of the springs 22 urging the plate and stud inwardly tends to cause the movement to continue and the lever to be moved abruptly to its clutch-engaging position.

While I have in the present illustration probe of any suitable;

Rotatably mounted upon the spoolvided a particular form of geared connection between the handle and the spool spindle, and a particular arrangement for causing declutching action involving the use of a clutch, it wiH be quit obvious to those familiar withihe art that the principle herein embodied may be readily applied to those-reel structures. wherein the disconnection Yof the handle from the spool spindle is eiected by bodily shifting one oiY the gears of the train to' disconnect the train. I; accordingly, do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the arrangement herein disclosed except as hereinafterY claimed." 'i

I claim: i

l. In a reel, the combination of al spool spin dle, a rotatable driving handle, means,- tolv operatively connect the handle and spindle whereby to rotate the spindle upon rotation of thehandle, said connection including a memberv manually movable to either of two positions in one of which the connection is completed and; in the other of which the connection is broken,4 an element to, move said member, said element, when. the member is in the last-named positinm bLe.- ing: disposed in the path of the handle to. be engaged. and'. moved towardy the first-named. position by said handle.v

In; a reel,l l'the combination. of' a spool spindle,.a rotatable driving handle, means-to operativelyy connect the handle and spindle whereby toV rotate the spindle upon rotation of the handle,l said connection including a member manuallyl movable: to either of two positions in one of which theA connection is completed andY in the otherof. whichy the connection is broken, an element to move said member, said element', when the member is in the last-named. position, being disposedin the path. of the handle to be engagedv and. moved toward the first-named position said. handle, and. spring means constantly tending to move' the member tov the Erst-named position and completing the movement of the element when initiated; bythe handle.

3-.. In a reel, the'eombinaticn of a spool: spindle, a driving means for theV spindle, means to connect the,V spindle to or: disconnect the: spindle from said: driving means-, mea-ns; to'l manually operate saidy connecting means;- to connect: or disconnect the: driving means, operator-engaged device to operate the drivingr means and: means-r tof automatically actuate thev manual means to' res-tore the connectionwhen said deviceoperated, manual means comprising a part' disposed in the path of movement of said device when: said manual means isA positioned to: discon-neet the; drivingmeans.

4. In a reel, the combination of a spool spindle, a head, a driving handle journaled for rotation in the head, a connection between the driving handle and spool spindle including a member movable to make or break the connection, a lever pivoted upon the head and movable from a posi- 'Y tion where it parallels the head1 and clears the driving handle Vto a position where it projects outwardly from the headV and has its outer end disposed in the path of the driving handle where- 85 by it will be engaged by the driving handle and moved from the last-named toward the rstnamed position, means to complete the movement of the lever from the last-named to the rstnamed position when it shall have been initiatec by the driving handle and a connection between said movable member and the lever whereby theY movablemember' is' positioned to complete the connection when the lever is in the first-named position and to break the connection when the lever is in the last-named position.

5. In a reel; the combination of a spool spin-V dle, av reel head, a` rotatable handle carried by the head, means' to connect. the spindle and handle including a. clutch, manual means for shift- 1500 ing said clutch to. connect the spindle to or disconnect the spindle. from the handle, andmeans tov automatically actuate the last-namedl means to restore the, connection when the handle is operated, said manual meansv comprising a. lever projecting intov the Vpath, of the reel handle when said lever is positioned to disconnect the reel handle and spindle.

6. In a reel, the combination of a spoolA spindle, a reel head, a handle rotatably mounted upon 151@ the reel head, a driving connection between'the handle and spindle including an axially movableV clutch member coactingv with an adjacent end portion of the spindle., a platev toishiit said' clutch member, a spring-'constantlyurging the clutchA 115 member into a position where the handle and spindle are connected,A a stud secured to said plate andf projecting through the reel head, and a lever. pivoted to said stud and having camenga'gement with the reel head to draw the stud l2@ through the' reel head and thereby disengage said, clutch element from the spindle.

7. A device as claimed in claim 6 wherein the leverwhen in position to` maintain the clutch elementv out of engagement with the spindle projects into the path: of' the operating handle to be' engaged' thereby and shifted fromv said position to permit the clutchv member to reengageunder' influence of the spring.

STEPHEN G. HIRSCH.

' isa 

